Voting-machine.



No- 828,978. PATENTED AUG. 21, 1906.

F. I. SEARS.

VOTING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 20, 1905.

s SHEETSSHEET 1.

PATENTED AUG. 21, 1906.

F. I. SEARS.

VOTING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 20, 1905.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

No. 828,978. PATENTED AUG. 21, 1906. P. I. SEARS.

VOTING MACHINE.

APPLIGATION FILED SEPT. 20, 1905.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

jgfirauk yams- I rm: NORRIS FE TERS cu, wasmno'ran, n. c.

I UNITED srArns PATENT OFFICE.

Specification'of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 21, 1906.

Application filed September 20, 1905. Serial No- 279,368-

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, FRANK I. SEARS, a citi- Zen of the United States, and a resident of the city and county of San Francisco, State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Voting-Machines; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and the characters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to improvements in voting-machines; and my object is to produce a machine by the use of which a dis honest voter cannot stuff his ballot and an ignorant voter cannot spoil his vote, also to produce a machine whereby the casting of ballots may be much more quickly done than by the present method. These objects I accomplish by the peculiar construction and relative arrangement of parts herein fully de scribed, and particularly pointed out in the claims appended.

In the drawings similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the sev eral views.

Figure 1 is a top plan view of a portion of the machine, some parts not being shown. Fig. 2 is a side elevation taken on a line y y of Fig. 1 with all the parts shown. Fig. 3 is a view of a calculating device. Fig. 4 is a view of a joint. Fig. 5 is a sectional view of a locking device. Fig. 6 is a side sectional view of a portion of the machine. Fig. 7 is a view of a hood or cap. Fig. 8 is a view of a ballast device.

1 designates the standard of the machine, 011 the top of which is journaled a wheel 2, and 3 represents projecting arms leading to a runway 4. I

5 is an arm securing to the standard 1 a spreader 5, the purpose of which spreader and runway will be hereinafter shown.

In the flange of the wheel 2 are slots 6, into which catches 7 of frames8 fit, holding said frames removably connected with said flange The frames 8 are provided with upwardlyprojecting portions 9 and two downwardlyprojecting portions 10 and 11 at the inner and outer ends, respectively. The portions 11 are provided with square shoulders 12, to which are secured rollers 13, which run on the runway 4. Extending upward from one of the shoulders 12 is a slot 14, in which is a pin 15 and a spring 16, bearing between the top of the slot and the head of the pin.

17 is a slot opening outward from the slot 14, and 18 is a bell-crank journaled on the outside of the portion 12, one arm thereof extending through the slot 17 and being socketed in the pin 15, the other arm being provided with a cord 19, leading to the judges room.

In using the machine when one man is through voting the spring 16 forces the pin 15 into a socket 4 in the runway 4, thus locking the machine. When the next man is ready to vote, the judges pull the string 19,-

which releases the pin from the socket, and the machine is free to move.

The frames 8 are provided with two down wardly-projecting lugs 20 and 21- near the front and rear thereof, respectively. In the lug 20 is secured a shaft 22 and in the lug 21 a shaft 23. In the ends of the portions 10 are secured shafts 24, 011 which are pivotally mounted upwardly-extending arms 25, said arms being connected to the shafts 23 by means of springs 26.

In the ends of the portions 11 are secured shafts 27, to which are rigidly attached disks 28, provided with ratchets 29, there being as many ratchets as desired.

represents small screw-holes arranged just below each ratchet or at intervals. In one of the holes 30 is a screw 31 and in another a screw 32, the number of ratchets between said holes representing the number of candidates to be voted for on that section.

33 represents arms projecting from the portions 11 and extending between the two screws acting as a stop for the same.

In the portions 9 are secured two shafts 34 and 35, one above the other. On the shaft 34 are secured disks 36, provided with ratchets 37, said ratchets being in number, say,

forty. Said disks 36'are also provided with shoulders 38, on the faces of which are numbers, there being one number ratchet 37.

39 represents small cams secured to the sides of the shoulders 38 and extending a trifle above the tops thereof.

opposite each 40 represents small lugs extending from the inner sides of the disks 36 for the purpose as will be shown.

On the shafts 35 are secured small wheels Iro 41, provided with arms 42, one of said arms. I having arranged on the top thereof the figure 40, the next the figure 80, and so on in 1 the rotation of forty at a time to correspond to the rotation of the numbers on the shoulder 38. On lugs 9, projecting from the portions 9, are journaled bell-cranks, the arms 44 of which are provided with notches 45, each i adapted to engage with one of the arms 42. The other arms 43 of said bell-cranks extend along the sides of the shoulders 38 and are adapted to engage with the cams 29 as the said shoulders rotate.

45 represents shafts secured about the center of the frames 8, and on said shafts are pivotally mounted keys 46, provided with notches 47 at points just above the shafts 22 and with two notches 48 and 49 at the rear ends, said keys being connected to the shafts 23 by means of springs 50, the arms 25 fitting into the notches 48 when the machine is ready for use. Pivotally mounted on the keys 46 are downwardly-projecting fingers 56, acting as pawls and coacting with the ratchets 29, and 57 represents upwardly-pro jecting fingers acting as pawls and coacting with the ratchets 37.

The whole of the machine is covered with a hood or cap 51, which is provided with one opening 52, just large enough to allow one of the keys 46 to come into sight at a time as the machine rotates.

53 is a cog-wheel gearing connecting at one end with cogs 54 on the hub of the wheel 2 and being provided at the outer end with a handle 55. By means of this gearing the voter rotates the machine.

In using the machine there is a distinct section for each oflice such as governor, mayor, &c.all of the disks 28 of a section being arranged rigidly 011 the shaft 27, so that they all rotate together, and the disks 36 and wheels 41 and corresponding parts being so arranged on their shafts that they work independently. For illustration 1 will take the vote for governor. There are four candidates in the field. Hence there willbe four keys 46 and corresponding parts in that section. As there can be but one man voted for by one voter, the screws 31 and 32 are set so that the distance between them is equal to one of the ratchets 29. On the top of the keys 46 are marked the names of the candidates and the party to which each belongs. When the man is in the pollingboX, the judges release the catch 15, as described, and the man starts the machine to rotatingby means of the handle 55. When the key containing the name of the man for whom he i wishes to vote for governor comes in sight through the hole 52, he presses said key down. This causes the finger 56 to rotate i the disks 28 and the finger 57 the disk 36, I thus registering one vote cast for that particular man. The spring 26 pulls the arm 25 i into the notch 49, thus preventing the said i ting another vote. The screw 32, bearing on the stop 33, prevents the other keys from be ing pressed down, and thus the vote for governor by that voter is finished. WVhen forty votes have been cast, the cam 39 comes in contact with the arm 43 of the bell-crank and releases the other arm from the arm 42, and then the lug 40 engages with one of said arms 42 and rotates the wheel 41 until the next arm engages with the catch 45. Thus is registered forty votes. When the balloting is finished, the number of ballots cast for each man will be the amount registered by the last arm in the catch 45 plus the amount of ratchets which have passed the pawl 51, as indicated by the figures on the shoulder 38. As the machine rotates the spreader 5 passes between the pawls 56 and the arms 25, spreading them apart. This releases the notches 49 from the arms 25, and said arms then fit into the notches 48, and the keys 46 are again ready for use. At the same time the pawls 56 are released from the ratchets 29, and the disks 28 are pulled back into place by means of a weight or ballast 58. The shafts 22 act as stops for the keys 46 in their downward movement.

If for any reason the weight 58 should fail to pull the disks 28 back into position, I have provided an embossed portion 29 on the said disks, said embossed portion following the periphery of the said disks a distance equal to the distance of the ratchets 29. In an arm 60, secured to the spreader 5, is a pin 61, which engages with the embossed portion 59, as the spreader passes between the pawls and arms aforesaid and forces the disks around into place.

In providing a section for some office where there are a great number of candidates 1 must necessarily provide a joint for the shaft 29 in order that the same may conform to the circumference of the wheel 2. For this joint I have provided a slotted bar 62 and a circular bar 63 working freely therein. However, in practice a universal joint or other suitable joint may be used.

While in my moclus opercmrli I have described the machine as it is used in voting for the governor or similar oflice, in practice the same principle applies for all offices, the only difference being that there are as many keys 46 and corresponding parts as there are candidates, and the screws 31 and 32 are set to allow as many votes as are allowable for that certain ofiice.

37 is a bar pivotally mounted on the shaft 9 and engaging with the ratchets 27 to prevent backward movement of the disks 36.

I have now entered into a detailed description of the construction and arrangen'ient of parts embraced in the present and preferred. embodiment of my invention. 1 do not de sire, however, to be understood as confining 65 key from again rising to position and permitmyself to such specific detail, as such changes and modifications may be made in practice as fairly fall within the scope of my claims.

I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent -1. In a voting-machine a main standard carrying a rotating frame, a runway secured to said standard and extending beyond the said frame, outwardly-extending frames removably arranged in said rotating frame, and provided with rollers bearing on said runway, a small socket in said runway, an upwardly-extending socket in one of said outwardly-extending frames, a pin secured in said last-named socket and adapted to enter said first-named socket, a spring-bearing between the inner end of said last-named socket and the head of said pin, means for pulling said pin out of engagement with said firstnamed socket, and voting means secured on said outwardly-extending frames, as specified.

2. In a voting-machine a main standard, a rotating frame secured thereon, a runway secured to said standard and extending beyond the said rotating frame, a series of outwardlyextending frames removably secured to said rotating frame and provided with rollers bearing on said runway, a key-voting mech anism arranged on said outwardly-extending frames, a hood or cap enveloping all of said parts and provided with a slot adapted to expose but one of said keys at a time, and means for automatically stopping said machine when the same has made one revolution, and means for releasing said lock, as set forth.

3. In a voting-machine a main standard, a rotating frame secured thereon, a cog-wheel gearing coacting with cogs arranged on said rotating frame, a handle secured to said gearing and extending to a point within reach of the voters hand, and a voting mechanism arranged on said rotating frame, as set forth fully herein.

4. In a voting-machine a main standard, a rotating frame secured thereon, a runway secured to said standard and extending beyond the said rotating frame, outwardly-extending frames removably secured to the said rotating frame and provided with rollers bearing on said runway, a locking means secured in one of said last-namedframes and said runway, downwardly-extending curved portions at the front ends of said last-named frames, shafts secured in said last-named portions, disks secured on said shafts, ratchets in the sides of said disks, shafts secured in said outwardly-extending frames, keys pivotally mounted on said shafts, pawl-lingers pivotally mounted on said keys and engaging with said ratchets, and means for stopping the rotation of said disks, as specified.

5. In a voting-machine a rotating frame, outwardly-extending arms removably secured to said frame and provided with rollers running on a runway, downwardly-extendmg curved portions on the front of said arms,

a shaft in each of said curved portions, a se- I ries of disks arranged on each shaft, ratchets on the edge of each disk, small screw-holes in the said disks ust below each of said ratchets a screw in two of said holes, an arm attached to the said curved portions and extending between said screws, voting-keys pivotally mounted on a shaft in each of the said out- Wardly-extending arms, pawl-fingers pivotally secured to the said keys and engaging with said ratchets, as specified. 7

6. In a Voting-111achine a rotating frame, outwardly-extending frames removably secured thereto, downwardly-curved portions extending from the inner ends of said outwardly-extending frames, small lugs extending downwardly from said outwardly-extending frames at points near the inner ends thereof, a shaft in each of said lugs, a shaft in each of said curved portions, a series of upwardly-extending arms secured to said lastnamed shaft being also connected to the said first-named shaft by small springs, voting keys pivotally mounted on a shaft in each of said outwardly-extending arms, two notches in the inner ends of each of said keys adapted to receive said upwardly-extending arms, springs connecting said keys to said firstnamed shafts, and means for stopping the downward movement of said keys, as set forth herein.

7. In a voting-machine a rotating frame, outwardly-extending frames removably secured to said rotating frame, upwardly-projecting portions on said outwardly-projecting frames, two shafts arranged in said upwardlyprojecting portions one above the other, disks arranged on the lower of said shafts, ratchets on the edges of said disks, circular shoulders on said disks, numbers arranged on said shoulders, one number opposite each ratchet, cams on the outer sides of said shoulders extending a trifle above the surfaces thereof, small lugs extending from the inner sides of said disks, wheels arranged on the upper of said shafts said wheels being provided with outwardly-extending arms on the top of which are figures arranged as described, lugs projecting from said upwardlyextending portions, bell-cranks j ournaled on said lugs, one arm of said bell-cranks extending along the sides of the said shoulders, and the other arm being provided with notches adapted to engage with one of said firstnamed arms and small dogs arranged on said last-named lugs, as set forth.

8, In a voting-machine a rotating frame secured to a main standard, outwardly-em tending frames removably secured to said rotating frame, downwardly-projecting curved portions at the front and rear of said lastnamed frames, a shaft secured in each of said outwardly-extending frames, on which shafts IIO are arranged a series of voting-keys provided with two notches at their inner ends, a shaft in each of said front curved portions, a series of disks on each shaft, ratchets in the edges of said disks, screw-holes in the outer one of each series of disks just below each ratchet, sinall screws in two of said screw-holes, an arm secured to said front curved portions and extending between said screws, pawl-fingers pivotally secured to said keys and engaging with said ratchets, a shaft in each of said outwardly-extending fraines just below the forward ends of said keys, a similar shaft in each of said outwardly-extending frames near the rear ends thereof, springs connecting said keys to said last-named shaft, upwardly-ektending arins pivotally secured to the rear curved portions and engaging with the said notches in said keys, springs connecting said arms to said last-named shafts, and a spreading ineans secured to said standard and adapted to pass between said pawl-fingers and said upwardly extending arms and spread the same apart for the purpose as set forth fully herein.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

FRANK I. SEARS.

Witnesses 1 PERCY S. Vnrssrnu, THOMAS MILLER. 

